Page 73 of Nightmare

Me: can I come by and talk to you today?

I stare at the message for a few seconds, unsure what I’m even going to say to him, but send it anyways.

A breath later, my phone goes off – letting me know I have a text.

Travis:I’ll be home by 6, pretty girl. I miss you.

I sigh, locking my phone again, deciding not to respond.

I find Summer across the kitchen, and wrap my arms around her, letting out the breath I feel like I’ve been holding for days. Her hands stroke up my back, her chest deflating to let out her breath as well.

“You’re going to be okay, Liv. Just don’t push away the people that care about you. You need more than me on your team.”

I nod in her embrace, pulling her against me tighter, nestling my head in her neck – breathing in her familiar scent, feeling home in her arms.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Olivia

“I’m goingto meet Mac, are you going to be okay?” Summer’s voice comes from the closet, reaching me where I’m sitting at the vanity.

I swipe my eyelashes with mascara one last time, then cap the tube. “Yeah, I’m going to meet Travis in ten minutes.”

I see her appear out the closet in the mirror behind me, in nothing but a trench coat, tied at her waist, a pair of extremely high heels strapped to her feet. “You want me to come with you? I can reschedule.”

I turn in my seat, laughing a little, “Are you naked under that coat?”

She cackles, pulling at the tie and flashing me her naked body before she pulls the coat closed again, retying the straps.

I laugh. And I laugh fucking hard. And it feels so good.

She follows, buckling over in laughter, gripping her knees to balance herself.

“Oh,” I wheeze, “My.God.”

She smacks a hand down on her knee, snorting on a particularly loud laugh, which makes me laugh even harder.

After a minute, we’re both gasping for breath, and I’m patting at the edge of my eyes to stop the moisture from running down my freshly beaten face.

“Okay, Pretty Woman. Get out of here.”

Summer laughs, “I don’t think she did this in Pretty Woman, but I appreciate what you’re suggesting.”

I pat at my eyes with a tissue, “God, I needed that.”

She shrugs as she’s exiting the bathroom, “I do what I can. Good luck with Travis!” Then she’s slamming the door behind her, and I can hear her heels skipping along the marble floors of the penthouse as she heads out.

“Such a slut.” I mumble under my breath on a giggle, then refocus on my reflection. I look alright for someone who has practically been comatose for five days. My eyes are a little bloodshot from all the crying, I’m in black leggings and an oversized black hoodie – which is a huge change compared to my dressy dresses Travis normally sees me in.

I give myself a shrug, then grab my purse, throw it over my shoulder, then head out of the penthouse.

Time to face the music.

The streets are bustling with traffic – people trying to get home after work or to the bar to blow off steam after the workday. I throw my hood up, put my hands in my hoodie pocket and keep my head down as I make my way through them all, trying not to get trampled.

Travis doesn’t live that far, so I decide to walk instead of getting a cab – I could use the fresh air after being stuck indoors for almost a week, so I start my trek across town.

The streets don’t get any less busy the closer I get, the people constantly bumping into me are starting to piss me off, so I put myself right at the edge of the buildings, hoping to find some alleyways to cut through.

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